SCYA Midwinter Regatta - Shifty sailing on Day 1

The 84th Southern California Yachting Association Midwinter Regatta, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, provided a light but shifty racing condition as local knowledge played second fiddle to sailing skill on Day 1.

The leaders among 86 boats in 11 classes came from as far north as San Francisco and as far south as San Diego, but after crawling out to the race course past flags hanging limply at the club they saw only wispy and shifty zephyrs at mid-day until Long Beach's dependable southwest sea breeze arrived touching 12 knots late in the afternoon.

Matt Strube, who brought his singlehanded A-Cat from San Diego to sweep all four races in his class, said, '[It was the] first time I've sailed this year and to have manageable conditions was fine. It was light but shifty.'

If that sounds like San Diego . . .

'It seemed the middle [of the course] was best,' said Strube, 39, who has competed in three class world championships and won North American and US National titles.

Holt Condon, 35, towed his 505 skiff from San Francisco to join crew Reeve Dunne, 24, of nearby Altadena and also swept the board to build a solid seven-point lead.

'Everybody in the fleet is pretty fast,' Condon said. 'We've been sailing together for two years, so we're dialed in. We're going to Barbados for the Worlds this year.'

Several locals also did OK. Jay Golison of ABYC won the four Laser Masters races but still has a challenge to face. With handicaps in play, Golison---rated a Master in the over-45 group---carries an eight-point burden compared to the four points owed by Grand Masters over 55, such as Sanjai Kohli of ABYC who is only three points back in third place.

Another local, Jim Sears, is in better shape with a 2-1-3-1 scoreline for a five-point lead among eight Viper 640s. Sears, an Emmy-nominated co-host of the award-winning talk show 'The Doctors,' is a leader of the vigorously growing class.

Altogether, there are 11 classes, all competing inside the Long Beach breakwater, except for the Lido A and B classes racing inside on the bay. The last day of racing will start at noon Sunday, conditions permitting.

Proceeds cover host venue expenses and assist SCYA in directly serving the Southern California and Arizona sailing communities. SCYA’s activities include publishing the Annual Race Calendar and Yacht Club Directory, sponsoring boat safety seminars, presenting honor awards to member clubs and individuals and providing a service center to assist member clubs.